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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

Preoccupations / Goon (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 25, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Canadian Music, Goon, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Preoccupations on June 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 25, 2025] Preoccupations / Goon

I’ve seen Preoccupations twice already, once in the Foundry opening for Protomartyr.  They used to be called Viet Cong, but wisely changed that name.  They put on a great live show, but I was in a bit of a concert funk and didn’t bother getting tickets.  It’s possible that Preoccupations has changed their sound somewhat–a little softer and less abrasive perhaps.  They seem to have embraced a new wave feel.  I wonder how they deal with their older songs live if they’ve become kind of a different band.

Goon is a band created by Kenny Becker who is also an accomplished painter.  Fascinatingly, Becker suffers from a rare medical condition that periodically deadens his sense of smell and hearing, which for years shaded his day-to-day life with a dull pallor.   Similarly his songs are hazy and soft, synth pieces with soft vocals.  Considering Preoccupations opened for Metz last time around, this is quite a change.

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Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Marisa Anderson (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 24, 2024) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Alan Sparhawk, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Marisa Anderson, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on June 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 24, 2025] Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Marisa Anderson [moved from November 24, 2024]

Back in 2000, I saw Godspeed You Black Emperor at Maxwell’s in Hoboken.  My friend Lar was in from Ireland and he went to the show with me, which was pretty awesome.

I waited 18 years to see them again, but the last time I saw them, the show was marred by the crowd.  I was ready to see them again but when the night arrived I wasn’t feeling it.  So I stayed home.

GY!BE tends to have interesting and perhaps unexpected openers. Last year it was supposed to be Alan Sparhawk from Low.  For whatever reason, this time it was Marisa Anderson is an American guitarist and composer from Portland, Oregon. She is known for mixing American primitive guitar with various genres.  She’s the kind of artist that the intellectual in me loves (because she’s really good, I’ve listened to few songs) but who I would find dull in a live setting after a short time.

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Blondshell / Daffo (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 21, 2025) DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Blondshell, Daffo, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on June 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 21, 2025] Blondshell / Daffo

I really like Blondshell.  I saw her do a Free at Noon, but I couldn’t make her show that night at PhilaMOCA.  Good for her that her next Philly show was at Union Transfer. I was really looking forward to this show.  I had gotten my daughter a ticket because I thought she’d enjoy it and she likes Daffo.  But the night of she was really busy so we both wound up staying home.

We saw Daffo open for Sir Chloe and really enjoyed her set.  At the end of the night my daughter bought a shirt from her and chatted with her.  I was sure she’d want to see her again, but I guess not.

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Demetri Martin: The Quick Draw Tour (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, June 20, 2025)

Posted in Demetri Martin, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on June 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2025] Demetri Martin

I realized recently that when I think of comedians that I want to see, nearly all of them are British (or from Australia or New Zealand).  This is the Taskmaster effect.  In fact w saw English comedian Sarah Millican just two days before this.

There really aren’t that many American comedians who I want to see.  But Demetri Martin is one of them.

I love his deadpan style and the fact that he includes drawings (and songs) in his act.

He has played the Wellmont before (we couldn’t go in 2022) so I was happy he came back.

The premise of this show was that he wouldn’t have the drawings prepared ahead of time as he usually does.  Rather, he would draw them and talk about them while he drew (and drew quickly, you see).

There were so many drawings and jokes, it’s impossible to remember most of them because we were laughing so hard.  It’s also foolish to try to describe the drawings because they are quick, funny sketches.

There was one bit of improv that we enjoyed quite a lot.  He made a joke about Taylor Ham and it turned into a Taylor Ham vs Pork Roll argument that he wasn’t prepared for (If you’re going to bring up pork roll, be sure you have material about it!). (more…)

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Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025)

Posted in Matt Kirshen, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Millican, Taskmaster, The Met Philadelphia on June 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 18, 2025] Sarah Millican

I knew (and loved) Sarah Millican from Taskmaster.  I was so excited when she announced her tour and I was excited for her that it sold out and she had to add a second date!

When show time arrived, she came out on stage and gave us a little warm up.  And then she introduced her opening comedian!   I’ve never seen the headliner come out before the support act, but it was fun and classy.

After Matt Kirshen finished his set, Sarah came out and began her own.  I knew that Sarah Millican told adult jokes, and boy does she ever.  I love how demure she looks and yet how unafraid she is to talk about everything.

She had a whole book cataloging what a Late Bloomer is compared to an Eager Beaver.  Each one funnier than the next.  And on the way out she had free buttons an Eager Beaver and a Late Bloomer one.  (more…)

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Girls Against Boys / Maafa (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 19, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Girls Against Boys, Johnny Brenda's, Maafa, Philadelphia, PA on June 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 19, 2025] Girls Against Boys / Maafa

I was into Girls Against Boys in the early 90s.  Not a huge fan, but I liked their sound and a bunch of their songs.  When this tour was announced, I didn’t know that they were still a thing (they’ve broken up and reformed a few times).

I was instantly intrigued about going to this show (especially at Johnny Brenda’s) but it was in between two nights that I was already going out.  I’m a little bummed to have missed it, but it’s okay.  I would have liked to see Kill the Sexplayer live though (and I’ll have to dig out their CDs to listen to).

I had never heard of Maafa, but they sound pretty amazing

MAAFA is a Brooklyn-based “Afro-progressive hardcore” band founded by Brazilian bassist, vocalist, and composer Flora Lucini. They fuse intense, abrasive hardcore punk with traditional African instrumentation and rhythms, featuring politically charged lyrics that address systemic oppression and the African diaspora.

Looks like this would have been a really fun show.  I should have reconsidered going.

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Matt Kirshen (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025) [SARAH MILLICAN]

Posted in Matt Kirshen, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Millican, The Met Philadelphia on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 18, 2025] Matt Kirshen

I knew (and loved) Sarah Millican from Taskmaster.  I was so excited when she announced her tour and I was excited for her that it sold out and she had to add a second date!

When show time arrived, she came out on stage and gave us a little warm up.  And then she introduced her opening comedian!   I’ve never seen the headliner come out before the support act, but it was fun and classy.

Her opening act was Matt Kirshen.  Kirshen is a British comedian who has recently become an American citizen.  We all had a good laugh at his terrible timing of becoming an citizen.  He said that he liked being part of something in its final act.

His routine was really funny–it must be quite challenging to be a less well-known comedian.  But he was great and had us laughing quite hard.

He had his own show at Helium the following month and I’m sure it was really good.

I’m writing this three months after the show and can’t remember his jokes, but I know he had us laughing quite a bit.

If I think of any jokes or see any videos, I’ll add them here.  But I would 100% see him again.  He was great.

 

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Lip Critic (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2025)

Posted in Halloween, Hello Mary, Lip Critic, Philadelphia, PA, Warehouse on Watts on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 16, 2025] Lip Critic

I had not heard of Lip Critic and never imagined that they would be headlining this show.  But when they started I realized why they were better suited as the headliners–because they are crazy and would be very hard to follow.

I actually wondered if they were even playing songs or just improvising loudly on stage (they are playing songs and do have records out, so settle down).  It’s not just that it was loud (it was), it’s that it was chaotic in the extreme.

There were two drummers (yay), a guy who made all the sounds but who faced away from the audience the whole time (but did a lot of dancing)  and then the singer/screamer, who was fun and funny and brought a good time to all the chaos. (more…)

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Honey Revenge / Vana / Daisy Grenade / Nightlife (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Daisy Grenade, Honey Revenge, Nightlife, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, Vana on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 18, 2025] Honey Revenge / Vana / Daisy Grenade / Nightlife

I saw Honey Revenge open for Meet Me @ The Altar and I really liked their set.  Honey Revenge is evidently a two-piece: Devin Papadol (vocals) and Donovan Lloyd (guitar), (although live there were two others).  They play an electro pop that is really fun and Papadol is a great front woman.

But this was the same night that I had a ticket to see Hello Mary, who I had really wanted to see, so I blew off this show.

I listened to a Vana song and thought they were a dancey synth band and then about fifteen seconds in the song went total death metal with screaming vocals.  Wow.  There’s a total Poppy vibe–growly vocals interspersed with sweet synth pop verses.  Her bio states

Vana is an independent female alt metal artist from Aotearoa [New Zealand]. She doubles as a musician and content creator and prioritises spending her time sharing her creativity with the world.  Vana’s music is dark and alluring. She strives to make music that represents her pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as encouraging women to embrace their sensuality. Her songs encapsulate the feeling of viewing life through rose-tinted glasses, especially the consequences of doing so.

Daisy Grenade opened for Pierce the Veil but we missed them. I wanted to see them because I like what they call bubblegrunge.  Although I think I like Vana more (because I’m obsessed with New Zealand).

Daisy Grenade is an alt-pop duo led by Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittakker hailing from their hometown of NYC. Their songs hit like chaotic diary entries equal parts heartbreak, rage, delusion and rebellion. They’re giving bubblegrunge a bloody nose, wrapping raw vulnerability in distortion and glitter.

Nightlife is a Baltimore-based “soul-punk” band formed by Hansel Romero (vocals/production), Julian Lofton (bass/guitars), and Isaiah Walker (drums/percussion).  They are known for blending energetic, melodic punk with soulful vocals, featuring popular tracks like “new low,” “fallback,” and “strangeluv”.

I haven’t heard of blending soul and punk.  I’m all for genre melding, although this feels more like soul with loud guitars.

 

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Hello Mary (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2025) [LIP CRITIC]

Posted in Halloween, Hello Mary, Lip Critic, Philadelphia, PA, Warehouse on Watts on June 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 16, 2025] Hello Mary

Iwas supposed to see Hello Mary about a half dozen times and it kept falling through for one reason or another.

So when they announced this show at Warehouse on Watts, where I had never been before, I grabbed a ticket quickly, having no idea how quickly it would sell out.  I loved that the venue was so small, and I had great access for seeing them for the first time.

They had a newish album out for this tour and I was ready for it.  I was closest to bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer who plays some awesome basslines.  On the far side was singer guitarist Helena Straight (who makes some gorgeous noise/feedback while not playing cool melodies), and and then at the kit was drummer Stella Wave.   Float started with washes of keys (from Mikaela) and guitar while Stella and Helena ooh’d the intro.  By the end, the song was a wall of noise and screamed vocals.  It was a great opening.

They followed it with a classic 90s-sounding rocker Stinge from their debut album–a great guitar riff and intermittent quiet parts.  Even their quieter songs like Courtesy have a good grunge tone. (more…)

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